Headlight.



0. WINSTUN.v

HEADLIGHT. APPucAnoN mtu sEPT.1a,1915.

Patented sept. 1913.

ovEaToN wms'ron, oF MINNEAPOLS, MINNESQTA.

HEADLIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led September 13, 1915. Y Serial No. 50,298.

To all whom t may concern: Be it known'that I, OviinroN WiNs'goN, aVA citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented `certain new and useful Improvements in Headlights; and I do hereby declare the following to ,be a full, clear, and exact descrlp- -tion of the invention, suchyas will enable others skilled in the art to Which it appertains to make and use the same.

Particularly, my present invention relates' to electric head lights for use on antoniobiles, launches, and other vehicles, and is especially directed to the improvement thereof, for giving better service on motor pro inlled vehicles.

lighpowerihead lights Withlong projec tion a1edesira.hle on automobiles, and es- Wei-,ally when running' at high lspeed on `country roads. {Headlights of tlnsvcharacter,v however as hitherto-used, are'veryob ,ietionable from the fact that they bhnd "l fthe driver of an approaching vehicle, and

hence, are` often the cause of serious acci-V dents. For'this reason, sonicdistrlcts have passed. laws restricting or4 prohibitingthe inse` of these high power head lights. My invention provides means for regulab ing the beam. projection of these high power i, head lights so that on clear roads, the light raysl may be projected far ahead ofthe machine and over the entire road, and `may Vbe thrown `to one side of the road, or down upon the road a shorter distance ahead of the machine, upon' approachinganother automobile or vehicle ,coming from 4the oppo site direction. l The 'above I accom llsh with i the use of a single light source, suc as a sin- 4.40"'gle lamp filament,` combined Wlth means for l l shifting the said source or filament of the lamp, infrespectto the axis of the reflector, or, conversely, by shifting the reflector 1n respect to the said source or filament, so that the position of the light son-roe or `filament is varied in respect tothe axis of' the reflec tor.'

.The drawings of the present' application `also disclose a novelprrangement of refiec* Vtor, light sou-'roe and frosting, which. construction, however, is4 not hereinl claimed,

` but in modified form, is disclosed and broadly .claimed 1n Inv (io-pending application S. N.

. 106,373, fiiednune '28, 191e, 'entitled EenV trie headlights. f Also, the drawings of the present. application disclose a novel relative` ment,

arrangement. of reiiector and shifting light source` which, in modified form,' is disclosed and broadly claimed in'my co-pendng ap- .closed and claimed in my co'-pending appli.-

cation, S. N. 132,039, filed NovemberA 18, 1916, entitled Headlights, and a` novel rela ative arrangement of reflector and li/ght' bulb, both of which are movable, in lrespect to a lamp casing ror support and which is disclosed and cla-im in my cti-pending application, S. N. 132,040, filed November 18, 1016, and entitled "Headliglits.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views. Referring to the dra-Wings: l

Figure l is a planview showing` a roadA in opposite directions, the one thereof being equipped with head lights and two' automobiles traveling' in accordance with my inventlon; f

Fig. 2 isa side elevnationLshowing an auhtomobilc equipped with the improved head'V lights and illust-rating, diagrammatcall'y, .theprojection of the rays thereof;

Fig. 3 is a. horizontal section taken Ithrough one of the improved head lights.; V

Fig. tis an enlarged horizontal section showing means for adjusting thelamp fila- 'Fig 5 is a of Fig. 4; Fig.` 6 is a View corresponding to'Fig. 3

but illustrating a modified construction;

Fig. 7 'is a view corresponding to Fig. 6.

section Vtaken on-the line wf m5 but illustrating a still further modified ccnl struction; an E Fig. 8 is a similar view corresponding to Fig. 7 illustrating a still further modified, construction -of the head. li ht.

In the diagram views, Figs. 1 and 2, two reverselymoving automobiles are indicated 'by the characters A and B. In `the head light construction illustrated in'.`'Figs. 3, 4

Vand 5, the numeral 1 indicates the larnp casing which is secured to the automobile 41n the usual or any suitable way, 'and 'has an`or-v dinary lens o r glass disk 2 held in an annu lar frame 3 ythat is detacliablyap lied on the rim of the casing 1. nferabkjty being telescoped thereon,

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

The reflector Il :1. flanged rim 5, at its outer edge, hold with freedom for rotary adjustments of the reflector around its axis, between the demolnilale annular i'ranie i5 and the adjacent iiziupfed edge of the canine; 1. At its axis? the reflcetor l has u pei-ot-.uiou in which a flanged lfoaringg; Sleeve iS vMed; and this sleeve (i has projecting arms that 'ire rigidly secured to zumagnot supporting bracket 7, which in turn, is swiveleil it 7 lo the back of the lamp casing l. 'AS illnetrnted, the reflector 4, by the sleeve 6, is connected to the magnet su )port 7' that the two elements 4 and 7 will be given common rotary adjustments on the exis, of the refleotor. A lamp Socket 8 project-,s through the bearing sleeve 6 and is intermediately pivoted thereto by small trunnions An electric light bulb l is adapted to be secured in the socket 8 in the usual way. This bulb 10 hasa filament 11, and the outer portionof the said bulb ie frosterb or otherwise dimmed, or mede traneluoent, over an area indicated at 12. The important. relation of the frosted or dimmed surface 12 in respect. to theligbt projectingn 'i xesage through the frame 3, or in other words, through the lense., will be more fully considered later on. i

In this particular arrangement., the lamp filament, and, in fact, the entire light bulb, is arranged ,to be ssliiftedV laterally to sind from the axis of the rede/iloxx This Shifty ing movement may he arcompliehed in vari-- our:` ways, but is 'preferably eeomnplished by e. pairof reverselyfaetng-magnetsund a wperatmgoore connected to the lamp' socket. The nmgneis 153 nire in illu-z form of solenoide and are rigi i; rind li" the arms Vof the l omnitel. 7. a the two solenoiol et. its interino-d e 4pr n EN. will or other nonmuggnelif. mmol, but ita. end polv tions 14x are ofsoit iron :mil are threaded. (En the threaded portions i4" im. adjustzilily mounted mmrxilled latch iii and ooiip @rating lool; nuts l? The inner ends of the lui'ioheleevcs 16m-e nefernbly made conical nnrljjuet outward ol the said --Conionl ende, they' :we fori'ned with annular -\-stlmpod groove 'iS which ooiiperate with pointed hitch. pim. lll Suhl to the 'free enfle ol liu-.nh springe l xd to the projooting outer omlr ol thu bruns nieuwe 2l. of the solenoifbl 25, i

1n Fig. it, the lend wires to the .magnets i3 nro ndivutori by the nuuioml 22 and .the lend wires to the lmnp :iro indicated by the numeral Eil. l vouree.,.lj,.he circuits and. 2? will be infleponileut. nl' auch other, nml, in provi loe, #nimble pijnen bottone or n. switch will be employed il: ilu' .jirouit connections 22, so thai llo; magnet. (l: will be energized in alternate order. In the position of the parte shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the lump bulb is adjusted so that the hot pointv of its lilainent will be at thu axis; of the reflector. 'l'lie light bulb will he thrown inlo the position just slated when the fer magnet l-l is 'energleed. "ll'hen the other or nent' muguet 13 is energized, the plunger llflw-Mf will be moved'as shown in the drawings, angl the light bulb will be moved laterally sothnt the hot point of its filament `will then be offset from the exis of the reflector. Also, it will be noted that the Springpressed latches 19 serve to yieldingIy-hold thelight bulb in either one of the two adjustments in which it. may be set by an energized ma et. This makes it possible to operate' the liiinp 'eimpl by instantaneous ma( etio im ulses,

Y g P i suoli ns p'roduzfed-by momentary closing 'of u Push button contest. 0f course, the energy o tlie'magnets or solenoide Wll be such as to readily overcomethe said' latches t It is here im rtant to note that L ad juistments of t o laten sleeve i6 on' the plunger'.y the ltmp may be adjusted for difn ferent positione in ree )ect to the axis of the refleotoh Forexempe, it might. be so adjusted that the hot point of its filament will be at the axis of the reflector in one position and will be offset more orlese '1n-another position, or the light bulb muy be adjusted so that the hot point of its filament will be -tlirown from one Side to the other of the axis ofthe r'olieoe..n-.,und.,4 in faut almost any lconceiv-(ible adjustment 'may be give-n -to the 100 said light bulb: I

4.r lso, its evident, by rota-ry adjustments retlectorfand magnet. support the of the pivot or trunnione il may be Set 4 :ontelly or verni :all-y'. or at any inclinen 105 (lbviouely, w' trunnions 9 are in liorizontzil position. linorements. of the i hbsali: -ill he in :l vertical plena mnh mi'tlir other henri. when the seid t1 nnions are eet in a vertical position, theadjustments 11o of the light bulb will be in n horizontal i plane; and. when the said t'runnionsl 9 are set obliquely, the adjustments of the lump will be in un oblique pinne. A djuStmt-inte of tho lmnp in a vertionl planenvill vvri-ry the clietnnoe that the light beauneY will be projected in front of the machine; adjustments oi' thelnmp bulb in e' horizontal direction `will shift the light beams laterally on the rond; andv :uluiustnienl's of the Said lmnp in 12o :in oblique plane will Siniultmieouslyvzufy the i projel'tlon of the light beams in front of the machine and shift the sinne laterally on 4the rond. For these varioueA adjustmentstherefor, a. largevariation in the projection of 12v the light beams on the road may be nocomplished.

Instead of oscilleting'the light bulb in respeot to the reflector, the reflector may be osoillzitecl in respect. to the light bulb, or both the reflector and'light bulb may bey simul taneously oscillated.

Inthe constructiony illustrated in Figs. 6 l

i and 7 the light bulb 10 is applied to a lamp socket 8*,.which, in turn, is fixed to a su ort 1l rigidly secured to the back of t e amp casing 1, and thereflector 4 has diametrically projecting trunnions 24 journaled 4in small bearings 25 secured on a ring 26 reflector.v

- and. csperating `actin r latch device, are preferably employed, V

mounted for rotary-adjustments between the annulal frame Band the flanged edge of the casing 1. At its axis, the reflector t has a passage throughwhich the lamp socket 8 lprojects with sufficient clearance, to permit the required oscillatory adjustments of the To oscillatectheV core 14 and 14 and cobut t e said solenoids, in this instance, are secured to a bracket 27, which, in turn is rigidly se'cured to the adjustable 4ring 26. T e

reflector 4, at one edge, has a backwardllyV projecting arm 28 which, as' shown, is connectcd to the intermediate-portion ofthe plunger 14, by a slot and pinoonnection 15.- .With this arrangement, it will be seen that the light bulb and lament remain stationary and that the reflector Willbe oscillated by the action of the solenoidsf, Such adjustments ofithe reflector, however, vary the' position of the lamp filament' in respect to the axis of the reflector. By rotary adjustments of the ring 26, the axis of the' tr'unnions 24. may be set vertically or horizontfally or at zany desiredinclination, ,so

that the beams may be correspondingly de- The construction illustratedin Fig;- 8 is like that illustrated in Figs. G and 7 except Vthat-'the lamp socket 8* is secured to the back 'of the reflector, so .that the lamp' bulb l()v and reflector will be given common oscillatory ladjustments to deflect the light beams. -Theradiatinlg lines marked -Y on Fig. 3 show that the u io ,struct'ed direct light rays from the lamp filament are not projected through the lens orlight'projecting passage of the head light, and hence, cannot be directly seen from in front of the head light. 'However, the reflected rays are not, obstructed, W here the so-called dimmed portion of the lamp is frosted or colored, the direct light rays will pass to some extent, but will bedimnied or objectionable glare.

diffused, so that they will, not produce r.the

Preferably, the socalled dimmed surface is translucent, but it might, in some instances, be made opaque.

. Usually, and VI believe preferably, the

source of light would be the ilameit of an incandescent lamp,bu't it might be of an arc lamp or even a gas 'me or other'flame from a hydrocarbon burner; The so-'called dimmed surface Which.=as shown, 1s Qnan electric light bulb, is, in abroadsensq'la direct rayreflector', lthe sclenc'ids 113 obstructing surface which is located between the light source andthe lens or light pro- 'ecting passage of the head light or light ont.

As shown, "and preferably, I employ the electrofmagnetic device for oscillating the light source or bulb and the reflector, `or

both, but a mechanical device may be em ployed for the above pur ose.

In the diagram view, gtfhthe full lines cle-a indicate the outside rays of the eam of light which --is rejected from one"l the head li hts onto tlie road bed at a relativel short istance ahead of the machine; an

-the full lines -b-b indicatethe outer rays of a beam of light projected from the other -head vlight Vonto the road bed at a relatively long distance ahead of the machine. For example, it`1nay be assumed that therays a c strike the road bed fifty feet aheadof the 4machine and that the rays beeb strike the fifty feet, ormore, The dotted lines,

dotted lines cffc indicate an extentto which 'the heamm ay be shortened and Projected -onto the road-bed a relatively, short disf tance aheadof the machine. 'H lo `eifectfth'e adjustments diagrammaticllly indicated in Fig. 1, the light source Drtllereflector mustbe adj-usted' horizontally, while to afect the adjustments of vthe bean'isillustrated in Fig. 2, the said light source .or the `reflector must be adjusted vertically. However, as already indicated, by adjusting the lightsource of the reflector obliquely, more or'less of both of the adjustments of the beams illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 may be simultaneously aceomplished. Inany" case,` thewidth `of the beams from the lamp set= to project a relatively short may be so wide that it will vhe difficult or distance ahead of the machine the road,- and in this-case, maybe found more practical to entirely cut out the short .disf

'tance light in passing a machine. '=Also, if vfound desirable, the long distance'"light4 might be cut out in passing the machine.

The term reflect'o' iis herein used in a liberal sense, and would include a lamp housing even if such housing were 'notv especially The term axis,. asa plied'to the retiecis herein used in a li eral sense to mean prepared to act-as a reflector.'

tor an i imaginary line .extended through L"the central portion otthe reflector, or'V that part thereof hichvv most nearly corresponds Ato 115 undesirable to deflect the same toone'side of the exis, regardless of whether or not the reflector has a true axis of rotation.

What 1 claim. is:

1. In a headlight, the wmbination with a. reflector and a ligl'it source mounted therein, one of which elements is adjustable transversely of the axis ot said reflector, the said reflector being mounted for rotasry movements and arranged. to set the adju able element for movements either in a vertical or horizontal direction.

2. In a headlight, the combination with a reflector and a light source mounted therein, one of which elements is adjustable trans ve'rsely of the axis of said 'refiecto1'-, the said ireflector being mounted for rotarv movements and arranged to set the adjustable element for movements either in a vertical or horizontal direction, and means for et fccting the movements of said adjustable element from a point distant from said headlight. i

` 3, In a headlight, the cm'nbination with a. casing. of a reflector mounted therein for rotarv adjustments around its axis, a .lamp socket pivotally connected to said reflector for moving a light bul-b transversxljv of the axis thereof, but itself adjustable with said reflector, and' an electro-magnetic device operative-on. Said socket and carried by said reflector so that it is operative on said socket in the various reflector.

4, In a headlight, the combination with a reflector and a lamp llocated therein, one of said elements being adjustable transversely of the axis of Said reflector', ,latches for holding:v said movable element in both extreme positions,' .and electro-magnetic. means for moving said lump in both directions and For overcoming or releasing the said bitches.

5. lua headlight, the combination with a refifeetor and a lamp located therein, of an adjustable support for said lamp, lutchl mechanism yieldingly holding said lamp in differently adjusted positions, and means fonovereoming said latch mechanism and movingr the said lamp from the one position to the other, the/Said latch mechanism bc' rotary adjustments of' said `ing'A adjustable to var the set positions of Asaid lamp. y

6. In. a headlight, the combination 'with a refiector anda light source therein, one of which is adjustable :in respect to the other` of electro-magnetic means operative magnetie'ally to impart both ofthe opposite adjustment-s to theadiu-stable member, and

operative, at will, to more the same in either directioinnnd latches for holding seid movable member in both extreme positionsarrfrnged to be overcome onreleased by said electro-magnetic means.

'7. In n'headlight, the cfm'ibinatipn with n reflect-orand a `light source therein, one of which is adjustable in respect to the an approxiimitely lmrizontalor an approximately vertice-i plane.

9. In a headligl'u'` the combination With a reflector and a 'lamp located therein, one of said elements being adjustable transversely of the arie of said reflector, latches for holding said movable element in extreme positions, and elcctrmnagnetic means for mov` ing said lamp in both directions and for reV leasing! said latches.

lt). ln u hcudligihl, thc cm'nlnwalhin With a casini;r and a reflector having' a rim connec-4 tion Il icrcwith. but spnccd therefrom, of a lamp sockel.extended through the back of said rclicrtor and pivotally connected thereF to, ynu c-lcctrfi-magnetic socket actuating! ineans includingd un electrfrmagnet, and means independent ot' said rim connection definitely positioning said reflechir, magnet und socket pivot in respect to 'each other, in a direction trmisvcrsel\-Y of the reflector. I

1.1. In a headlight. the combination with a. easing and u reflector' secured therein but spaced thcrcfrtmnof u supporting frame located in the space between the back of said rcficctor und said casing und scoured in part to both thereof und scrringr as arear connecH tion bctwccn the two, of a lamp socket mov- ;iblr supported on said trame in position to support undicciric light bulb within said rclh-clor, and electiwi-magnetic means for transversely moi/ing?` .said socket, mounted on und supported by said frame.

l2. In n hcmllight, the combination with a casing; and :l concave reflector secured there- In but spaced therefrom. of a trame located 13, ln a headlight, the combination with a.

reflector, of alump Socket adapted to hold an electric light bulb and movable to shift said bulb from the axis to a. point above the axis of said reflector, a latch for holding-said socket. in its axialApositiom'and means for moving said socket instuntl1 from one position to another and for overcoming or releasing said latch.

14. In aheadliglit, the combination with a'. i reflector, of a lamp socket adapted to hold un electric light'bulb .and movable to shift the sume from-ione position to another, trans-4 versely `of theexis of said reflector, a latch for holding said socket in one extreme position, nd'electro-magnetic means for releasing,r said lateh and moving said socket away from the position in which it washeld hy said latch.

15.' In a headlight, a reflector, n lamp socket mounted on a pivot for 'moving an electric lamp toward and Vfrom the axis of said reflector, means for instantly moving said socket from one extreme pos1t1on to ansocket stops for limiting the extreme movements of said socket, means for instantly moving said socketfrom one extreme position to another, and means on the back of said reflector, independent of said rim connection, positively holding said pivot and stops in definite fixed relation in respect to.

the axis of seid reflector. A

1T. In a headlight, vthecombinzition with a casing and e reflector having' a rim connection with said easing.;V but spaced therefrom, of n lump socket extended through the rear of said reflector and Iadapted to support an' electric lamp within said reflector, said socket being securely pivoted to the reer portion of suid1eflecto r, and `adepted to be swung vertieully,`i1'1stantl y from al lower extreme position to un upper extreme position,

stops for limiting,r the extreme swinging movements of said socket, and means at the rear of said reflector, independent of the rim4 connection between said reflector and casing,

whereby said stops are accurately positioned vertically, in respect to said reflector and socket pivots.

In testimony whereof I eflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OVERTON WINSTON. y Witnesses:

HARRY D. KILeoRE.- F. D. MERCHANT. n 

